JANUARY 2021 - Sierra Club
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JANUARY 2021
“This moment is profound when we consider that a former secretary of the interior once proclaimed hi s goal
was to, quote, ‘civilize or exterminate us.’” - Representative Deb Haaland, US Secretary of Interior nominee
Beginning Monday, January 25, the Wisconsin Sierra Club
January 25, 27, 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. will welcome new and old members to its important
Sierra Club Teams teams planning meetings. Teams are groups of member-
volunteers who work with Sierra Club staff on important
Orientation and Planning
environmental issues from water quality to clean energy.
More details at tiny.cc/wiscteams21 For an overview, visit www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/
volunteer
January 25 will include an orientation for new team members. On January 27, teams will review their current goals
and resources, then plan campaigns for 2021. January 28 will be state budget planning for each team. This is a
great opportunity for you to match your passion and experience with a campaign that can make a difference as the
state works on its next two-year budget and responds to the recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on
Climate Change.
In a December 22 blog post, the Wisconsin Sierra Club says, “Monumental changes have been made this December
by Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and the Governor’s Task Force to address climate change in Wisconsin.
The Climate Change Report that was released December 9th, includes 55 policy recommendations for climate
action in our state. Although this plan was clearly long overdue, we are far from where we were just two years ago
under the Walker administration when the Wisconsin DNR wasn’t even allowed to say the words ‘climate change’,
let alone do anything to fix it. Over the past year, Wisconsinites from across the state have been involved in the
Climate Task Force Process, making it clear that we urgently need ambitious action in the fight against climate
change and equitable distribution of the benefits that
would come from the transition to clean energy.
Throughout this process and going forward, Sierra Club
has and will continue to work with the Climate Task Force,
Governor Evers, Lieutenant Governor Barnes, the
Wisconsin Legislature, and other policy-makers to ensure
that climate action remains a priority for Wisconsin.
“The Sierra Club is committing to take immediate action,
alongside the Task Force, on some of Wisconsin’s most
pressing issues such as environmental justice and racially
sound climate solutions, deterring the prospective
investment in the fossil fuel industry, conserving forests,
and modernizing Wisconsin’s utility rate design. In fact,
the Climate Change Report refers to the advocacy carried
out by the Sierra Club numerous times, mainly on the
topics of environmental justice and sustainable/equitable
transportation.” [Blog post: www.sierraclub.org/
wi sconsin/blog/2020/12/w isconsi n-s-long-
awaited-plan-address-climate-change. Task Force
report: climatechange.wi.gov/Pages/Home.aspx
2021 Board of Directors CAFOs
Thanks to those of you who mailed ballots to vote for In December 2019, the Crawford County Board voted
the 2021 Coulee Region Group board of directors. for a one-year moratorium on CAFOs. Because of COVID-
19 restrictions on meetings and investigation, many
Your 2021 board: Kathy Allen, Veronica Bauer, Ned hoped that the moratorium would be extended for
Gatzke, Nancy Hartje, Dorothy Lenard, Avery Van Gaard, another year. But on December 15, the board tabled
Cathy Van Maren, Pat Wilson. the motion to extend and the moratorium expired on
December 31. County residents are urged to sign a
The board and members thank retiring board member,
petition demanding that the DNR require an
Maureen Kinney, who has been a member and leader in
environmental impact statement for CAFOs. Sign here:
the Coulee Region Group for many decades.
www.crawfordstewardship.org/eis-petition/
In Vernon County, the DNR, despite overwhelming public
Jan. 11 - Microplastics Film testimony against, reissued the permit for Wild Rose
Dairy, LLC. on December 30. Read the final
The Wisconsin Sierra Club Great Waters Group will host determination at tiny.cc/RepermitWildRose.
a screening of the award-winning movie MICROPLASTIC
MADNESS (76 minutes). Be inspired by Brooklyn youth Vernon and Monroe counties will collaborate on updating
to take plastic-free action! This virtual screening will be decades-old manure storage rules in cooperation with
followed by a Q&A with movie co-director Debby Lee the Wisconsin DNR. Read more: www.swnews4u.com/
Cohen. A Zoom link will be sent to you after registration. local/public-safety/counties-collaborate-update-
Learn more at tiny.cc/wiscmicroplastic manure-storage-ordinance/
Wisconsin 2021-2023 Budget and the Environment
In November and December, the Governor’s budget team hosted a series of online town halls linking big Wisconsin
issues to the coming budget. Sessions on Healthcare, Environment/Infrastructure/Economy, Criminal Justice Re-
form, and Education drew hundreds of participants. While these sessions are over, there is still the opportunity for
citizens to submit comments: appengine.egov.com/apps/wi/governor/voice-an-opinion
As noted in their December 11 blog post (www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/blog/2020/12/speak-for-envi-
ronmentally-just-state-budget), the Wisconsin Sierra Club wants to see Governor Evers prioritize clean air,
clean water, public transportation, and public lands by making these some of the top issues to receive funding.
+ Funding for transit walking and biking. Clean, reliable transportation is essential to the well-being of Wisconsinites
and our environment.
+ Funding for the DNR and the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund. These initiatives allow for more access to
Wisconsin’s public lands and prioritize resilience against climate change.
+ Funding for Focus on Energy. This will help reduce energy use while increasing that of clean, renewable energy.
+ Funding for clean water. Many communities in Wisconsin are still struggling with threats from factory farm pollu-
tion, PFAS, lead pipes, and more. This has to change.
In addition, the club urges the Governor to remove funding for the I-94 expansion project. This is a plan we strongly
oppose. We hope to see this money spent repairing existing infrastructure instead.
Based on past years’ timelines, the budget will be drafted in December and January and made available for public
comment in March. The Joint Finance Committee (JFC), a committee of mostly Republican state Senators and
Assembly Representatives will draft their budget in late spring and vote on it in the summer. The governor will then
approve or veto, partially or in full, the budget.
If you are able to submit comments now, please use the link noted above. If you would like to join the Sierra Club’s
Budget Team, please sign up at tiny.cc/wiscbudgetteam
2020 Year in Review as other events and opportunities to stay involved from
home.
2020 was a crazy year, and COVID-19 impacted our
Sierra Club activities here in the Coulee Region. We had July - We hosted a screening of the documentary "The
to cancel some events, while others were moved online. Story of Plastic" and an online discussion of the film.
Here are a few highlights from our past year:
August - After lobbying from our members and supporters,
January - We awarded four environmental education the La Crosse County Board approved a resolution setting
grants, totaling $661, and hosted a program with Karl goals of carbon neutrality and 100% renewable energy
Green from the La Crosse County Extension on water by 2050.
quality in the Coulee Region. Several CRSC members
September - Our group hosted a virtual program, "The
attended Clean Water Lobby Day in Madison.
Latest on Electric Vehicles" program, and members
February - The Coulee Region Group hosted our first ever completed an on-your-own roadside clean-up of River
local volunteer night at Myrick Park and tabled at the Valley Drive
"Progresstival" in La Crosse
October - We hosted a program, "Aquatic Invasive
Species" with Ellen Voss from River Alliance of Wisconsin
March - Our last in-person act for the year was a press
conference held at La Crosse’s City Hall on March 10 to November - Sierra Club-endorsed candidates Joe Biden
help roll out the new Wisconsin Clean Energy Toolkit. and Kamala Harris at the national level and Brad Pfaff
at the state level were elected in close races. Thank you
April - We celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day to everyone who voted and volunteered!
with a virtual fundraiser, raising $402 for our group and
$402 for the Wisconsin Chapter We’d like to also thank UWL students Marc Carstens
and Carly Rundle-Borchert for contributing to our
June - Our group hosted its first virtual meeting,
newsletters and blog as part of their ENV496 senior
discussing local Ready for 100 campaign efforts, as well
learning project. - Kathy Allen
Jan. 8 - Wild & Scenic Film Fest January 23 - Wolves
One benefit of a On January 23 at 10
move to life a.m., the Mississippi
online is the ability Valley Conservancy
to virtually attend will host wolf biologist
programs from Dick Thiel who will
anywhere. On talk about the wolves
January 8, the of Wisconsin’s Cen-
Idaho Sierra Club tral Forest Region.
will kick off its He will focus on the
17th Annual Wild biological facts re-
and Scenic Film garding the gray wolf.
Fest. “Presented Following a descrip-
by the Idaho Chapter Sierra Club, the films combine tion of Wisconsin’s
beautiful cinematography and first rate storytelling to Central Forest, the
inform and ignite solutions to ensure the conservation talk will focus on the DNR's monitoring program since
of wild and scenic places we all love. You'll also have a wolves began recolonizing this region in the mid-1990's,
chance to learn about the Idaho Chapter's campaign and the types of management implemented to address
work including northwestern salmon recovery, clean conflicts that arise on this landscape, shared by both
energy initiatives and alternative transportation options.” wolves and humans. A question and answer session will
The live stream will begin at 8 p.m Central Time on Friday, follow the presentation.
January 8, but the films will be available to view January
9-13. To learn more and purchase tickets visit the Learn more and register for the program at
program website: www.sierraclub.org/idaho/blog/ www.miss issi ppiva lleyconser vancy.org /even ts/
2020/11/wild-and-scenic-film-festival-2021 wolves-wisconsins-central-forestCoulee Region people I also gave a talk to a freshman class at West Salem
about environmental issues on Earth Day many years
This year we’re going to highlight some members, ago. I talked about thinking globally/acting locally and
environmental activists, hikers, water protectors, and about the United States being just five percent of the
others who can help connect us in our love for nature population and using 25 percent of the natural
and our desire to protect and respect our natural world. resources. I got a huge amount of push back from about
five boys about criticizing the US and how that was
We start with La Crosse Attorney Maureen Kinney who wrong.“Love it or leave it,” they said. I told them I had
is leaving the Coulee Region Sierra Club board after heard that saying before, during the Vietnam war
several decades of service on the board and in the club. protests. I said we all had a responsibility to protect the
environment. I’m not sure I had any impact on them.
What got you interested in the environment?
Growing up in northern Wisconsin, quite a bit before Fast forward about six years and I was tabling at Western
Earth Day, the environmental movement did not exist Technical College for the Sierra Club, again about Earth
(at least not in its current form). We didn’t think about Day, and this young man came up to me and said he
threats to the environment, but I liked to be active which had been one of the boys in the freshman class that
meant being outdoors. I spent my first 12 years along had given me a hard time. However, now, in part because
the Apple River in Amery, Wisconsin, playing with polliwogs of what I’d said, he was in an environmental program at
and falling in and doing a bit of fishing. Then we moved UW-L and I had influenced him on the issues. So we
to Superior and grew up along Lake Superior. That is never know what kind of a seed we may plant and when
big water! it will sprout.
When did you get involved with the Sierra What are your favorite outdoor activities?
Biking, canoeing, cross country skiing, running.
Club? I joined the Sierra Club in La Crosse in 1976
and at that time I thought of it as an outings group. One
of my very first outings was driving to Bayfield with the
Do you plan to continue your involvement
Franks and group camping at Stockton Island. Also, with environmental issues? Certainly! I have long
toward the end of college, I started camping; I went to been involved in political issues also and a candidate’s
the Boundary Waters for a week. I loved doing rugged environmental stance is important to me. There are many
stuff, even if at times I wimped out if it was cold and important environmental groups on both a national and
rainy. I took a trip after law school out west to many local level. It is more fun to be active in a cause so that
national parks camping and backpacking. both the cause and social activities can coincide.
What got you interested in environmental How can and why should people get
issues? I started reading the Sierra Club magazine involved? I think if people make a personal connection
that talked about mining in national parks and since I to a cause, both being in a group and having fun, one is
had been to many of the parks I was not happy about more likely to stay with the group and help out. I am a
that. Mining is terribly destructive of land, water and air fairly social person. My biggest contribution to
all at one time. environmental causes is probably my work with
Mississippi Valley Conservancy, which has been for over
When did you decide that you needed to get 20 years. As a lawyer I can give a service to the
organization by working on its real estate legal work that
more involved in organizing and encouraging not that many people can do.
others to learn more about the issues? About
35 years ago, I was asked to give a talk at UW-La Crosse Sometimes I would rather pull invasive plants, but that
for its history program and the topic for the event was is not quite as helpful as donating legal work to help
the Environmental Movement – The Wisconsin finish up a conservation easement or purchase land.
Connection. So. I talked about John Muir, Aldo Leopold, The Conservancy’s work of protecting land will hopefully
Sigurd Olson, Gaylord Nelson, and me (to bring things last forever, in perpetuity we say. All of us can contribute
down to the personal level). I read a biography of all of to groups or activities in our own way that is very helpful
the people and found the Wisconsin connection very and impactful. I am not good at leading a hike since I
interesting. Our state has had a large impact upon the can’t point out plants and flowers or birds, but I can do
history of the environmental movement. other things. I can bring up the tail of the hike to make
sure no one gets lost! There is something we can all do.You can also read
